Details
Richard Blanco Visits as 16th Westminster Poet
Renowned poet Richard Blanco visited Westminster School April 17-19 as the 16th Westminster Poet. He gave a reading to the campus community in Werner Centennial Center and visited English classes to meet with students.
Selected by President Obama as the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history,
Blanco joined the ranks of such luminary poets as Robert Frost and Maya Angelou. The youngest, first Latino, immigrant and gay person to serve in such a role, he read his inaugural poem, “One Today,” at the ceremony.
Blanco describes himself as being made in Cuba, assembled in Spain and imported to the United States — meaning that his mother, seven months pregnant, and the rest of the family arrived as exiles from Cuba to Madrid, where he was born. Only 45 days later, the family immigrated once more and settled in Miami, where he was raised and educated. The negotiation of cultural identity and universal themes of place and belonging characterize his body of work.
Blanco is the author of the memoirs “The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami
Childhood” and “For All of Us, One Today: An Inaugural Poet’s Journey”; the poetry chapbooks “Matters of the Sea,” “One Today” and “Boston Strong”; the poetry collections “Looking for the Gulf Motel,” “Directions to the Beach of the Dead” and “City of a Hundred Fires”; and a children’s book of his inaugural poem, “One Today,” illustrated by Dav Pilkey.
The recipient of numerous literary awards, he has written and performed occasional poems for organizations and events such as the re-opening of the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba, the Boston Strong Benefit Concert, Freedom to Marry, the Fragrance Awards and the Tech Awards in Silicon Valley.
Blanco began his reading to Westminster students and faculty Monday evening by saying, “I really appreciate all of the time and energy everyone put in to me being here and the time you spent to read my work.” Before his visit, students had studied his writing in their English classes. He then talked about the “obsession” that informs his work: “The idea of home is something universal,” he explained. “We are always talking about the same core things that make us a human being and how we do that is through our stories.”
He discussed growing up and read numerous poems, giving some background about what inspired them. He said he first fell in love with writing as a young engineer. “I was an engineer during the day and a poet by night.” He also shared memories of reading at the inauguration and meeting President Obama in the Oval Office.
During his visit with English classes, he answered questions from students about poems they had read prior to his visit, his writing process, why he likes living in Maine, his feelings about identity and which poems he likes best. When asked for advice he would give those reading poetry, he said, “The poet’s intention is to make you feel something.” He suggested that as readers, they “look at how the poet delivers images to you to create those feelings.”
“I have read that what makes a piece of travel writing great is not that, after finishing, one wants to go to the place, but that one feels like they have already been to it,” said English teacher Emily Neilson. “Thanks to Richard Blanco’s decadent and indulgent attention to detail in his poetry and memoir, I feel like I have been to so many of his places: tasted the café con leche in Miami; the tabaco and rum in Cuba; the azucar and the arroz con pollo and the pork; and how a real, ripe mango means so much more than a fruit, how it means family and freedom and nation. We have relished in the flavors and places and feelings Blanco infused in his writing, and we are the luckier for having read it and listened to him Monday night.”
Blanco has been featured on numerous national television and radio shows as well as media from around the world. His poems and essays have appeared in many publications.
Contact Us
995 Hopmeadow Street
Simsbury, Connecticut 06070
P. (860) 408-3000
F. (860) 408 3001
Simsbury, Connecticut 06070
P. (860) 408-3000
F. (860) 408 3001
Explore Our Website
Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students
In keeping with our support for a diverse community, Westminster abides by all applicable federal and state laws and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, color, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national and ethnic origin, ancestry and/or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Westminster admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.
In keeping with our support for a diverse community, Westminster abides by all applicable federal and state laws and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, color, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national and ethnic origin, ancestry and/or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Westminster admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.
© Copyright 2024 Westminster School | Privacy Policy
AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board. Used with permission.
AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board. Used with permission.